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www.aucklandnow.co.nz
Wednesday, February 15, 2012
OPEN DAY
MARCH 7
BOARDING AVAILABLE for Boys & Girls
BR - j6521/02
Saint Kentigern College
SCHOLARSHIPS AVAILABLE - APPLICATIONS CLOSE 29 MARCH Register to attend 09 577 0677 www.saintkentigern.com
Flying in the bigtime
By SCOTT MORGAN
High flyer: Ardmore Flying School
instructor Wiremu Fautret has been
hired by Hong Kong-based airline
Cathay Pacific. Photo: SCOTT MORGAN
Step up, left: Wiremu Fautret will be
flying Cathay Pacific 747s, like this one
at Auckland Airport.
Photo: JOHN SELKIRK/FAIRFAX NZ
Go to www.papakuracourier.
co.nz and click on Latest Edition to
watch a video of a Cessna 152 take-
off and landing at Ardmore Airport.
ROOKIE pilot Wiremu Fautret is
following his dreams to Hong Kong.
The Ardmore Flying School
instructor has picked up his ulti-
mate job as a second officer with
international airline Cathay Pacific,
starting this week.
Other pilots from Australia,
South Africa and Europe have also
been hired by the airline but Mr
Fautret is pretty sure he'll be the
only one of Maori descent in the
group.
There are not very many Maori
airline pilots, I can assure you of
that.''
Students from the Ardmore
school are normally hired by small
regional airlines after completing
their professional and commercial
pilot's licences and spending time as
instructors.
But a worldwide shortage of
pilots has seen some airlines like
Cathay Pacific and Jetstar hiring
directly from the school.
Flying commercial passenger
planes instead of small four-seaters
is going to be a big challenge, Mr
Fautret says.
It's going to be a huge step going
from a Cessna 172 to 747 or 777. I'm
really going to lap up that oppor-
tunity and make the most of it.''
The three-stage interview process
was rigorous.
It involved psychometric and
maths testing and panel interviews
in Auckland and Hong Kong, fol-
lowed by flight tests in Australia.
But it all served to make the for-
mer Takanini resident even more
determined to succeed.
I put in a lot of effort doing my
best in the interview stages and
going to Hong Kong really
highlighted where I want to be.''
He's now employed by one of the
world's top airlines but the
challenges don't end there.
Mr Fautret will spend seven
months training in Adelaide and
another three months in his new
home base, Hong Kong.
He will be thousands of
kilometres away from his family in
Kaitaia but the nature of the job
means Mr Fautret never knows
when he'll be back in New Zealand.
Living away from my family in a
completely foreign country -- I'm a
bit anxious about that but am look-
ing forward to experiencing differ-
ent cultures. And Cathay Pacific fly
to Auckland twice a day in summer
and once in winter so that option's
always there.''
Flying school general manager
Mike Newman says it's fantastic 12
of the school's pilots have picked up
jobs in the past three months.
It's a measurement of success for
me. These guys are in a unique situ-
ation to move on into their careers,
which is what it's all about for us.''
The surge in jobs follows a slow
period of growth in the industry.
Cathay Pacific, Jetstar and Air
New Zealand subsidiaries Air Nel-
son and Eagle Air are among the
airlines to hire the pilots, along
with other smaller carriers.
The school has invested in 16 new
Cessna 172s and is looking at other
options for further improvements.